1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing system, and more particularly, to a method of backing up and recovering data in a data processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a data processing system such as a computer, data recorded in a file form needs to be backed-up to protect against a crash of the data processing system or for future contingencies, thereby recovering original data. A user can personally back up and recover a file, but as the amount of data to be managed is increased, it is difficult for a user to periodically make the backup or to back up and recover a file to be selected one by one.
Accordingly, recently, various application software has been developed to improve convenience for data backup and recovery. The processes of data backup and data recovery using such application software will be described hereinbelow.
In the data processing system, data recorded in the file form is electromagnetically stored in a storage unit such as a hard disk. As shown in FIG. 3, the process of backing up the stored data is as follows. First, a user selects files to be backed up (S100), and determines where to save backup files (S101). Then, when a user orders the data backup to begin (S102), a new project file is created for saving information on the backup files, or an old project file created at the last backup process is loaded (S103˜S105). While the data backup is performed (S106), the information on the backup files is added into the project file, thereby completing the data backup (S107).
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the process of recovering the backup files is as follows. First, a user loads the project file (S110), and selects the backup files to be recovered (S11). Then, when a user orders the data recovery to begin (S112), the backup file is recovered (S113), thereby completing the data recovery (S114).
In the conventional method for the data backup, after files (e.g., a file 1, a file 2, a file 3 and a file 4) whose information is saved in the project file are initially backed up (i.e., after a first backup process), if there is a changed file (e.g., the file 1 is changed into a file 1.1) among the backup files, the information on only the changed file (the file 1.1) is added into the project file when the data backup is subsequently performed (i.e., in a second backup process). Therefore, the other backup files which are not changed are not electromagnetically stored in the storage unit again at the second backup process. Moreover, such unchanged backup files are not treated as files which are logically backed up together with the changed file. That is, the project file of the first backup process includes the information on the file 1, the file 2, the file 3 and the file 4, but the project file of the second backup process includes the information on only the file 1.1.
Thus, in the case of recovering the backup files of a specific backup process (e.g., the second backup process), only the files (e.g., the file 1.1) which are backed up at the specific backup process are recovered, so that the files related to each other are not all recovered. In order to recover the related files, a user must remember the specific backup process and select the related files. Hence, in the case that the data backup is repeatedly performed and an amount of data is managed, the data backup and recovery are not easy.